A/N: I just realized that clear glass slippers would look weird. You'd be able to see her feet!
Sorry for the late late late update…
Any of you read the latest chapters (418-420)? I freaked out. Ahhhhh… :( Charle!
I'm also going with the idea that the legal drinking age in the Iron Lands (and Fiore) is 18. Underage drinking is a no-no!
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters. They all belong to Hiro Mashima.
For the last time, Levy felt her skirts expanding and changing. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them, she almost cried with joy.
"No wedding dresses, Mira. It's not a wedding, Mira. Not a wedding my-" Mirajane yelled, outraged. Lisanna restrained the suddenly murderous goddess "Lu-cyyyy!"
Lucy sighed, and said, "It's not a wedding dress! It's just a very nice white gown."
"That's the understatement of the millennia…"Mira grumbled.
Levy's dress was a creamy white, with gold thread woven into the fabric and embroidered on the bodice. Diamonds were sewn onto the dress at random intervals and they were embedded into her hair. Delicate elbow-length silk gloves covered her forearms and on her face was a mask of intricate gold filigree. But it all paled in comparison to her shoes. They were a pearly white, and it looked like they were made of glass. Gold filigree was encased in the shoes, strengthening them.
"Wow…" she stood before the mirror, awed at her gown. "It's… so beautiful."
The three goddesses looked on proudly. "Levy. Go and get your prince!" Lucy all but shoved her out the door, and she found Jet and Droy manning an exquisite golden carriage. She stepped in and they took off towards the castle.
-o-o-o-
Meanwhile, Gajeel was grumpily avoiding the women Ryos had danced with at the last ball. He had to turn several of them down, much to his chagrin. A weepy female was a force to be reckoned with.
"Where is she?" the prince searched the crowds for his Shrimp, but to no avail. Where is she? What if she decided to not come?
"She just hasn't arrived yet. She'll be here." he muttered, mostly to reassure himself.
"Prince Gajeel?" Gajeel cringed and turned around. Another girl who wanted a dance?
Luckily, it was Lady Erza, dressed in a fancy ball gown with her sword strapped at her waist. An odd combination, to be sure, but at least she didn't wear her armor. Jellal stood at her elbow.
"Perhaps you would like to take a turn about the room with us? Call on some of the visiting royalty, perhaps. Duchess Juvia is here."
He perked up. Someone to keep his mind off of Shrimp! "Yes, let's."
They walked over to a cluster of young people, with Prince Natsu and Duke Gray already fighting.
"What do you mean? My land's flaming chili dish is obviously tastier!" they were arguing about something or the other. Erza shook her head, sighing. Boys will be boys.
"Have you ever even seen our shaved ice sculptures?" Duke Gray sneered, his naked arms crossed against his chest. "They're both delicious and artistic!" The Duke had a very bad habit of stripping. His coat and shirt were already gone.
"D-Duke Gray-sama!" the Duchess standing next to him, Juvia Lockser, squealed. She was courting the Duke, and was already quite taken with him. "Y-your clothes!" she then fainted.
"Stop it, both of you!" Lady Erza clobbered both of them over the head, grabbing them by the ears. "You two are guests here! Behave!"
"Y-yes, Erza…" the boys whimpered.
"Woman, I don't know what you see in him." Gajeel muttered, shaking his head.
"I think you do." Juvia dusted herself off, giving Gajeel a tender smile. "I see how you look at Miss McGarden."
"Oi! I-" he was cut off by a silence spreading over the crowd. "Wha-?"
"It's your lady friend." Erza whispered.
"Miss McGarden." the herald announced. She was dressed in a brilliant white gown that sparkled and was inlaid with gold. She truly looked like a fairy.
"Gajeel…" Juvia smiled softly, nudging him.
"Shaddup."
"Go and get her."
"Oh."
"Go!"
He was shoved unceremoniously towards the stairs, and the crowd parted before him.
He could hear his heart beating.
Then she looked at him and smiled. His heart all but stopped in his chest. And he knew exactly what to say.
"May I have this dance?"
-o-o-o-
When she entered the ballroom, the room fell silent. She knew why. The dress seemed to silence anyone with its beauty. And then the crowd parted down the middle, and her prince was walking towards her.
Her heart was thumping madly in her chest. When he asked her to dance, it flew out of her ribcage.
The next few hours passed like a dream. They danced and laughed and she had never felt so happy before.
She was introduced to nobles and royalty. She really hit it off with Duchess Juvia, as they shared the same strange blue hair.
The rest of the night was dances and wine and laughter. And it seemed like a fairy tale.
.:.:.:.
After they had called on the last noble they collapsed on the balcony where they chatted that first night. They were still quite tipsy from all the wine when they started talking.
"Gajeel. Look at the stars. They're so beautiful." Levy said, in wonder.
They really don't compare to you. he thought. And it was true. Even if it is a pansy-ass thing to think. Her dress was still pristine, and even though her hair was messy she still looked like an angel. (A/N: Take that, Minerva!)
"Shr-Levy." Gajeel looked at Levy. "Please… stay with me tonight? Don't leave." he pleaded.
He could see that she sobered up a bit, and she sighed. It seemed so melancholy, so heartbreaking.
"I-I can't." he froze.
"Wh-why?" he asked slowly. "Is it because of your mother? Don't you want to stay here? Do you have a fiancé? A beau?"
"No, it's nothing of the sort. It's… complicated." she rubbed a hand over her face. "Forget about me. I-I am not a suitable match for a prince."
"It doesn't matter if you're a good match! I want you. Shit, that's so…" he grimaced. What a weak-ass thing to say. Fuck, now she's crying!
"Uhh… what did I do now?" he startled, moving towards the small woman.
"No, it's just that… I can't hurt you like that. I'm not who you think I am." she sniffed, smiling wryly.
"Oi…" she shook her head, swiping away her tears. Suddenly, she stepped towards him boldly.
"I don't want any regrets tonight." And then she grabbed his jacket and smashed her lips on his. "I'm so sorry, Gajeel."
And she ran. He stood, shell-shocked on the balcony, watching her run from him yet again.
"Fuck! I'm faster than her!" he roared and chased after her.
As she ran, he saw her ball gown flicker into a raggedy dress. Wait, what? he thought, but dove after her. Gajeel saw the party goers gasp, but all he could think about was his Shrimp. Shrimp. Shrimp. Levy. Levy.
"Levy!" he yelled. "You don't have to do this!" He was gaining ground on her.
"I do! Forget about me, Gajeel!" she cried.
He chased her down hallways and into the main entryway of the palace. She lifted up her skirts. No. She was nearing the grand staircase that led out of the castle. No!
-o-o-o-
When she began her mad dash away from Gajeel, Levy cursed Lucy for giving her heeled slippers. The poufy dress didn't help either. Oh, why couldn't she have conjured up flats?
"Levy! he was gaining on her. She mentally cursed her short legs, and willed herself to run faster. "You don't have to do this!"
"I do!" You don't deserve me. "Forget about me, Gajeel!" Please, never forget me. Be happy.
Almost there! She was coming down the grand staircase when… she stopped. She couldn't move her left foot.
She saw Gajeel smirk and give a thumbs-up to a tall man standing in the shadows. She groaned. He had poured pitch on a small section in the middle of the staircase. (A/N: because even Gajeel isn't stupid enough to cover the whole staircase in tar.)
Gajeel was heading towards her, now striding confidently.
"No!" she cried, waving her hands in front of her face. I can't be caught!
And so, in a fit of sheer desperation, she left both her prince and her shoe on the staircase as well as her heart.
A/N: Oh my gosh this was a kakfja;sdfk to write. I couldn't-I just-aaaaduublaaduublah. There were tons of ideas I scrapped, which made this horribly short. Also, sorry for the late update. Hope you liked it! Wheeeeeeew. Now that that's finished, here's my shoutouts!
Thanks to ItscalledLove, Moon Devil and Moon Angel, FairyTailLover2013, FlyingDoll4, Lexie and the anime, Guest, Rhia-san, MakeItHayle, hjbickel and LumiSusi for reviewing!
ItscalledLove: OMG I do that too! Except… I do it right before I go to bed… Yeeeeeah. ;)
FlyingDoll4: Sorry about not responding sooner… You reviewed asking about Levy's relationship with Rouge. Rouge thinks of Levy as a mother, but Levy doesn't know what her feelings seem like, so she compares it to that of a younger brother. Because thinking, Oh, he seems like my son! is really creepy.
Questions? Comments? Please leave a review! You may get featured in the shoutouts… ;)
Also, that story I was advertising in the last chapter? It'll probably come out after this one is finished. My friend kept bugging me to update this instead. So, here it is!
Signing off,
Miss Quiet Writer